I think I will backtrack on my comments a bit. Not one of the Warhammer dlcs has been anything but great. I think I dislike the overall financial CA idea (or paradox) of feeding dlcs out – but I can hardly complain. And the recent one (which I actually really like) was only 8.99.

Also… and I am not sure who pointed this out but --the map only changes by patch not dlc, so I may have been wrong there too.

Finally in agreement with Scott --who I tend to agree with now more than in the past – if the dlc drops for a game we love then its just icing on the cake.

I think what I realized after all these dlc was that this game takes some commitment. If you wanted to start playing Warhammer 2 at this moment it would cost you a tremendous bundle.

Anywho I am enjoying my Caledor campaign on me - that is hard … though I think it might be puzzly hard. In other words I get the feeling there is a right way to do that.

So I’m finally playing a campaign of this after owning it for years. My step-son has hundreds of hours with it, though mostly just setting up and doing battles. But I’ve just never taken the time to play more than a few hours. Generally, it’s due to winning a few battles and maybe taking a town only to be crushed soon thereafter by some massive army. So I restart once or twice for the same thing to happen then usually just take a break, which ends up being months.

But this week I played a few times, got crushed after a couple of hours, but kept coming back. And I finally sort of broke thru the wall and held off a couple of large attacks, held on to my province, had another sue for confederation so suddenly my empire is a few provinces big and holding together nicely. I even kept multiple armies in the field, helped distant allies fend off gobbies, and am currently building up a few of my settlements into level 4 and getting cool units.

I did a sort of save-scum last night before bed though when I was defending a fort and couldn’t figure out why all my infantry were up on the walls. So I moved them down to be ready for any sort of breach of the gates only to have the enemy’s infantry all have ladders when they got to the walls!? Needless to say, I was easily overcome. Anyway, I went on and quit for the night and figure I’ll jump back in from whatever save I had before the assault and not remove all my defenders from the walls. LOL.

How do yall remember your plans from one turn to the next? The little dudes and settlements are very ‘samey’ on the map so with all the units and armies I now have I’m finding it daunting to keep with an overall plan from one turn to the next. Especially since the turns take a while sometimes with all the heroes running around.

Your experience is like mine except I am still before the wall breakthrough moment. I just started up my latest attempt to learn after refreshing a watch of the Party Elite tutorial series. I am trying Caledor (just the Vortex version, I am not crazy) because I have not played any of the good guys yet. I really like monster units smashing around the battlefield. I also don’t really get the magic stuff. Thus I figured Imrik, the dragon lord with dragon quests and casters aplenty would be a good way to get into the less creepy races that I tend to gravitate away from.

That said, I feel your comments about little dudes all very samey on the map, but for me it is in battle. I really can’t seem to get my head around why I want Rangers over Spearmen or Sea Guard over Armored Archers or just basic Archers. Not that I can even pick them out that well on the battlefield. I just see pretty-boy white armor moving around shouting arrogant glory slogans before running away. I have these Lion Guard which seem to be some sort of elite unit, but I can’t seem to keep them from being crushed. And I clearly am using Imrik or even the Sun Dragon wrong. I seem to get them stuck in a sea of melee and they can’t get out. I am thinking I should use Imrik as a solo model cavalry and cycle charge like I do the Dragon Knights (those I am good with), rather than use him as a melee combatant (like Queek or something). However I am trying to keep him near the main line for leadership and can’t seem to micro him in and out of the main scrum whereas the Dragon Knights are doing good work on the periphery.

Still…I am going back in today. Hopefully I will have my first province locked down, quell some rebellion, and be on my feet and through the @lostcawz wall by dinner. Hopefully…

@Chaplin good luck with the wall. I’ve hit it about two hours into a game well over 2-3 dozen times before yesterday. I’m the first Empire dude who is supposed to be easy. So that probably helps.

I also watched a couple of the videos in the TW School thing about some key shortcuts for battle. Like how to keep groups in formation and stuff. The videos aren’t long and did help. I’m sure there are tons more in depth ones out there too. I even got sucked into an allies defense without knowing it. My 5 or 6 squads came in behind the much stronger bad guys and whittled then down with my one ranged squad while my infantry kept them safe and did a little damage of their own. It was awesome!

After a few initial conquests I focused on my economy. And finally started getting some good trade partners set up. So money isn’t a huge issue yet.

My provinces are stretched along thin range with a bunch of undead to the far North edge and more vampire dudes ( I think) past the Southern mountains. I’m kinda afraid I’m gonna get squeezed soon.

I think what I realized after all these dlc was that this game takes some commitment. If you wanted to start playing Warhammer 2 at this moment it would cost you a tremendous bundle.

Agree - it’s the biggest problem I have with this model. I’ve often looked at various Paradox games (e.g., Stellaris), considered getting it, and then quietly dropped the idea again, because the total cost is way beyond what fun I’d get from the game at the time.

Though I think the problem is much less with the Warhammer games, because most of the DLC simply adds new factions. You can buy just the base game, and you’re still getting the “full” experience of the four base factions in the game - buying additional factions basically just gives you more ways to enjoy the game. In contrast, most Paradox games require 2-4 expansion packs in order to get anywhere near the game experience you should be getting. I understand that it’s hard to do it different for them, but it’s unfortunate.

I have these Lion Guard which seem to be some sort of elite unit, but I can’t seem to keep them from being crushed.

Well, this is Warhammer, so every unit is basically the bestest in the world (narrator: they aren’t). And some units are really not worth their cost in Gold - the White Lions is one of them. Units with low defense and HP tend to suffer - it doesn’t help that you can kill enemy units fast,

Different players will have different playstyles, but my go to strategy, which works for many races, is to build lots of low-level spearmen (8-10) and archers (8) in the beginning, at least for the first 1-2 armies. You want to weaken the enemy as they advance, then allow them to engage your spearwall in combat (which is why this strategy usually uses spearmen rather than swords - spears die slower, though a mix can also work), then use your few starting elite units to smash the enemy morale by charging the enemy in the flanks/rear. Ideally you also have some starting artillery, which will usually force the enemy to come to you (rather than the opposite) - that’s always a big help. Upgrading to shielded spearmen/swordmen if possible is an advantage, because it again allows them to survive a little longer (and especially make them less vulnerable to enemy missiles), but I’d rather build up to a full army before upgrading the buildings.

Your lord’s task (if he is any good), is to take out the enemy leader/hero if he can. That both makes it more likely the enemy will break, as well as rids you of one of the enemy’s dangerous units. Dragons (and flying melee units in general) are there to destroy enemy missile troops/artillery first, distracting enemy melee units, and then to join in charging enemies from the rear once any missile troops have been dispatched.

The Lothern Sea Guard is brilliant because it is basically Shielded Missile Unit with spears, which means they don’t need anyone protecting them, so you can pretty much run with 1 Lord, 1 Artillery, and 18 Lothern Sea Guard if you feel like. It’s a formidable (though weak to heavily armored enemy), if a bit boring, army.

Expand very slowly
If you are clan skyre for example feel free to sack that first town next to you over and over
Sometines the beastmen are annoying and break the town so you can’t farm it for xp

Go for 3-4 catapults, 3-4 sniper guns 3-4 gatlings.

Lord, engineer and priests. The priests are your tanks. They each summon 6 clanrats 2 monks

Early on you can have extra Lord following with clanslaves, very useful. They can climb walls for you, spend enemy ammo, or even just tire and separate the enemy as they break and try to chase the skavenslaves. Also handy snacks.

See I don’t have any qualms with CA’s DLC model for basically the reason you stated. They mostly add new factions and a few new units. You can absolutely go ahead and buy game 1+2 for what, 35 bucks on sale? I bet they’ve bundled them cheaper. And see if you like the game enough that you are bored with the mere 20 or so factions. Yes you’ll have less options in competitive multiplayer, but that is a very small percentage of players.

and @Chaplin figuring out the reason why you want to bring one unit over another is roughly 75% of the fun I have playing Total Wars. Sometimes units only real difference is economic. One is better and costs more. But most of the time the units have some small niche they are good at or terrible at. Campaign’s biggest flaw to me is that units that aren’t good in sieges have no place in your armies, which basically removes all skirmishers and chariots from consideration. These units are good in open field battles, but 50%+ of your battles are sieges in this game.

I suspect a lot of people that play this game don’t realize how OP getting an immediate second stack of the cheapest chaff units to run around with your main stack actually is for every faction. Bretonnia especially, no Supply Lines penalties. But that’s really only a big consideration on Very Hard or Legendary.

I suspect a lot of people that play this game don’t realize how OP getting an immediate second stack of the cheapest chaff units to run around with your main stack actually is for every faction.

I think I failed my campaign attempt. I built up my one hero. Took the Sift Sands region, and then spent like 20 turns running back and forth trying to chase drive by threats until I had a city plundered here or there or just fell behind in the technology. This later point is an issue for me as I don’t understand the progression for elves. They seem VERY building dependent and I am so starved for cash that I am just trying to get economic buildings.

I think I am going to restart, but this time get a second stack ASAP that is just the warden/ unit chaser in territory as I use my main stack to advance actual objectives. I think I will also dabble with @strategy 's advice and get some Sea Guard. My attempts to have a mix of Rangers and Spear units to hold the line for my archers was not working. My best battles were garrison troops that just held a line with Spearmen as archers shot away.

About DLC, I admit it is daunting to look at that stack of DLC or to look at how much I have spent per hour of return (so far). That said:

Their DLC model is quite generous. As long as you don’t want to play AS something, you get the DLC for free. New stuff just gets put into the game as enemies. That is pretty nice. There is a lot of entertainment to be had off of a single purchase and that just keeps growing. (Notable exception= TW:W1 for ME campaign)

The DLC release pacing and cost, is actually fairly trivial for the amount of entertainment return per dollar if someone is going to play the as new faction in a given DLC. If someone is not going to play as the new faction, then don’t buy it and see point #1 above. (Notable exception= faction roster expansion, but if you like a faction, just spend the $9 for more of that faction).

Rangers aren’t designed for holding the line, they are flanking anti-infantry units. You put them at the flanks of your armies and pull them in along the flanks and rear after the main infantry line has engaged. They are micromanagement intensive and kind of underwhelming in campaign. They seem good in skirmish-y MP builds, but that’s a whole different game almost.

Just go for the spear line, Silverin Guard are a nice upgrade to spearmen that are accessible early, or you can just go with a full front line of Sea Guard.

One of the most critical things with the High Elves is that more than any other faction they benefit from trade income. Every turn you need to make sure any faction that you can have a trade agreement with and you aren’t planning on attacking in the next 10 turns, you have. You can use Influence to make factions like you more, and it’s often worth spending a little gold if you have to and get those trade agreements going. They become real economic powerhouses.

Edited to add: also with the Silverin Guard, they have Charge Defense Against All and something like 1 Charge Bonus. You don’t want to charge them into anything that is charging them, let them brace for the hit. The only time you should give them attack orders is on enemies that aren’t coming at them.

I think I am going to restart, but this time get a second stack ASAP that is just the warden/ unit chaser in territory as I use my main stack to advance actual objectives. I think I will also dabble with @strategy 's advice and get some Sea Guard. My attempts to have a mix of Rangers and Spear units to hold the line for my archers was not working. My best battles were garrison troops that just held a line with Spearmen as archers shot away.

Don’t bother with the Sea Guard in the beginning, at least not for a good long while. Your last sentence here is the key - a line of spearmen supported by a bunch of archers are by far your most cost-efficient early-game HE army. Supported by the few hard-hitting units to outflank the enemy, they can pincushion and defeat most early game AI armies. You do want to get the Sea Guard eventually, but your first priority is to build up your money-making machine.

Sea Guard are more mid-to-late game units. Early on, IIRC, you can get 1 spearman + 1 archer for almost the same cost/maintenance as a Sea Guard, and you really, really want the additional number of units. Having 2-3 armies instead of 1, also means it is much, much easier to keep your empire safe, while continuing expansion. A full stack of spear and archers behind walls will only rarely get attacked (and if they do, they should win). Having to rush back and forth with your main army to keep things stable is typically one of the first indications that you’re in a losing game.

My only issue with the DLC is that as they add in interesting mechanics for new LL’s and races, the older ones feel more and more left behind. Then CA come along and freshen up an old one, and the cycle begins again. Obviously Chaos, Beastmen and Wood Elves need some love given how much they’ve been left behind. And following that, Norsca needs something extra, and maybe the Dwarves could do with some expanding. And the cycle will continue.